Removing fiber from cotton-seed



{No Model.)

W. L. DUDLEY.

REMOVING FIBER PROM COTTON SEED.

Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

{/VE/YTOR K Ham 4 W] TNESSiZ- ATTORNEY I To allwhom itmaiy concern: 1 1 e ,-su ch, for example, as cottonseed-left a'sfa're' ning. and lintingj and which it is desira ble to remove in'view "of the subsequent uses mechanicalmeans,

, tus employed, Itjhas also been suggested to ar-tificial-means, after which itis'subjectedto A My invention relates to processes 'lfor t e,

by digestingwith.destructive acid solutions,

jecting the seed to the action of heat or flame 4O NITE 'Srn rns WILLIAM'L, DUDLEY,"OF GOViNGTON, KENTUCKY.

nsmovme Fl BEER; when; demon-seen.-

, sPecIz-Ioenorr-rmmin part of Le t rs Patent No, 355,109. dated December 14, 1886.

Application filed April 2l;i885.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. DUDLEY,- a citizen of thes'United States, residing atCov} ington', Kentucky, have invented new andu'ses f ul Improvements inProcesses for Removing theFibrous Covering from Cotton and [other Seeds, of which th e;;i"ollowing is a 'specification.

moving the fibrous covering of certain seedssidual after the ordinary operations of gin made of the seeds. 'Heretolore the removal of this fibrous coyringhas been atte-mptedby which have thus far 'pgoven inefiectiveand jundilly expensive, and

which has'also .proven son of theexpense of struetive effects of the objectionable by. reahandling and the-de.-- acidupou the apparaapply" flame to the seed while agitating the mass; but this, also, hasproven unsuccessful, because the dense covering of theseed resists destruction, except in such extremes of heat as inj'ureer destroy the oilbearifigpropertics of the seed. i

My invention seeks to provide a more efiect ive and economical means for theremoval of the fiber from the bulls ofsuch seeds; and to this end it consists in treating the seeds, with chemical reagents, whereby the fiber is reu- .dered highly inflammable by the deposit of an oxysalt upon and among the fibers, or the fiber is converted by chemical act-ion into a readily-inflammable compound, and then subto consume the fiber and tact.

In carryingout my invention'the form of apparatus employed is not material. The seed is treated, for example, with a strong solution of potassium-nitrate or potassiunrchlorate, or any inflammable salt, either by immersion in a suitable vessel containingthe solution or -b-y-pouring the solution on the seed, until the fiber is thoroughly permeated with the solution, and is then dried by natural or leave the hulls in- *jury to the hulls. Instead of employing ans-alt to deposit inably treated, as hereiubelore erial Nio. $3,357. (N0 specimens.)

I the'acti'on of heat, either by passing the seed quickly through a sheet of flame, orby d'irectingthe flame upon or th rouglr the seed spread upousuitable screens, or by passing the same by] mechanical means through or over the fl00lS Q f highly-heatedretorts, so as to ignite and'decoinpose thesalt-by heat and consume the fiber. The'destructive action of the heat under such circumstances is so rapid as to free the seed from the-fibrous covering without inflammable material upon or between the fibers,'theseed may inlikc manner be treated with nitric-and sulphuric, acids, or any others by which the fiber maybe converted by chemicalTaction into ahighly-jnfiammable compnnndewfor example, gun eotton--wl1ich, aftergdryingand subjecting to the action of heat, is readily consumed; i I I,

Inthe accompanying drawings, two forms of apparatus for removing the fibrous covering'of theseed are illustrated. Figure l is a sectional vertical elevation of an inclined retort, p rovided with a chain belt and scrapers for removing the seed from the heated bottom thereof, and Fig. 2 isa similar diagram-elevation of a moving screen for treating the seed in direct contact with thefiaiuea Referring to Fig. 1 of the illustrations, A

designates a retort of iron or burned clay, open at both ends, and mounted in an inclined position over the furnace B, provided withan uptake, 0, with which the retort com-municates at its upper end'by the flue c.- Suitablymounted sprocket-wheels D D are arranged at either end carrying a chain belt, E, provided with scrapers e, by which the seed is rapidly carried over the heated bottom of the retort from the filling-hopper F. Such apparatus being in use in othereonuections, a, more detailed description is here unnecessary. It be ing understood that the seed having been suitdeserilied, is, by

means ot the scrapers, carried from the hopper F, through the retort and discharged at the lower end, as indicated at G, the gases of combustion produced in the retort being carried into the ppiltke through the fluec,

too

lnthe illustration given in Fig, 2, the seed is discharged from the hopper Fv upon the screen H, carried by sprocket- \vlieels D D. The herein-described process of removing The flame ispro'i'ided, preferably, by means of the residual fibrous covering of cotton and gas-jets f, arranged beneath the screen, as other seeds, consisting in treating the seeds shown, the gases of combustion being caught with chemical solutions, to deposit an oxy- 2o 5 by the funpcl-coveringO, and car'ried into the salt in and upon the fibers, or to convert the uptakecl fiber into a readily-inflammable. material, and The mode of opcrg tion, as indicated in the then'to consumethefiber by the quick appliillustration, is as routes: The seed is deliveation-ofheat, substantially as set forth. cred from the hopper F upon the screen, pref- In testimony=whereof I have hereunto set 25 1o erably by a hinged bottom flap, F, agitated my hand in the presence of two subscribing by a yoke and eccentric connection, '5, with witnesses.

' the shaft of the contiguous sproeketwheel D,

and is carried rapidly through the flame upon the screen and. delivered to the dump Gr. \Vitnesses:

15 I claim as my invention and desire to secure G. M. CASSA'LT, by Letters Patent of the United States-' ABRAM MAY.

WVILLIAM L. DUDLEY. 

